Stretcher for boots or shoes.



No. 658,790. Patented Oct. 2, |900.

E. J. LEIGHTDN.

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(Application md sepa. 1Q, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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NTTED STATES PATENT Finca.

STRETCHER FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 658,790, dated October 2, 1900.

Application filed September 1.9, 1899. Serial No. 730,991. \No model.)

To all whom it'mwy concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD JAMES LEIGH- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stretchers for Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the class of stretchers employing a longitudinally-divided last, the two sections of which are hinged together at the rear and caused to separate or diverge by the advance of an interior spreader; and its object is to simplify the construction and increase the efficiency and ease of operation."

The invention consists in certain details of construction of the hinge-joint and in the means for separating the sections, as will be hereinafter fully described.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show the invention as I have carried it out.

Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view. Fig. 3 is an elevation with one of the sections removed to show the interior. Fig. 4 is an approximately-horizontal section taken on the line4 4. in Fig. l, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the irregular line 5 in Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate the saine parts in all the figures.

The last is in two hollow portions or sections A A, each practically the counterpart of the other, divided along the longitudinal central line ct. Each is preferably a thin malleable casting lightened by the ornamental lattice-work A2 and having holes a. at the forward outer part to receive and hold the usual bunion-pieces. (Not shown.) On the interior lower face off'each at about the mid-length is a lug A3, extending across the line of separation and lapping upon the inner face of the other and serving to hold both sections in about the same plane. The lugs are curved upward slightly to allow the sections to roll a little relatively to each other in corning to abcaring in the shoe,and thus distribute the pressure. At the rear the upper portion is thickened by an interior boss A4, and in line with the latter ata lower level is a bracket A5, drilled and tapped to receive a screw-pin C, reaching thereto from the upper faceof the section and extending through the boss. At the forward end above and below on the interior of each section are pairs of arms A6 A7, each pair loosely embracing an end of a short vertical shaft D, carryinga hollow-faced roller D, free to revolve thereon and con fined between the arms A6 A7, each pair of which are bent toward each other by' any suitable tool after the roller and shaft are in place and securely inclose the latter.

B is a tubular nut having a laterally -projecting wing B' on each side, slotted, as at b, and receiving each a pin C, above described, the Wing lying between the boss A4 and bracket A5. TheY slots allow the sections A A to separate slightly at the rear while allowing the forward portions to swing apart, as required, thus serving, with the screws O, as a loose hinge or shackle, affording sufcient flexibility or play while holding the sections together. The nut extends rearwardly somewhat beyond the rear faces of the sections, which -are notched semicircularly at a2 for this purpose.

The operating handle or shank E is screwthreaded nearly its entire length to match to the nut and has a T-head E2 on the outer end, by which it maybe turned,and thus advanced or retracted in the nut. The forward end carries a cone-shaped spreader E,fixed th ereon and adapted to force its way between the adjacent faces of the rollers and urge them strongly apart when advanced, thus causing the sections to separate and exert the pressure as required on the interior of a shoe, in which the stretcher is placed.

A rearwardly-extending fin B2,lying behind the wings B' on each side, serves to connect the wings strongly to the body of the nut, and also serves the more important function of taking the strain from the pins O when the stretcher is in use. The fins lie close to the inner faces of the sections at the rear and limit the forward movement of each section relatively to the other. The rear faces of the fins are widened, as at B3, to aord a better bearing-face,and the outer corners are rounded to correspond to the adjacent inner surfaces of the sections.

The head E2 may be of any preferred form IOO adapted to be easily grasped by the hand and may be, as shown, adapted to perform additional service in the shoe salesroom.

By notchingthe sections at the rear and extending the nut through the opening thus formed all the length required for great strength in this part may be secured.

The slots b are formed somewhat wider than the thickness of the pins C, so as to allow the sections to advance until one or both are in contact with the n B2, which then takes the strain of the thrust and relieves the pins.

Frictional resistance to the advance of the the invention may be used without the whole.

The cone and rollers may be diierently disposed and may be employed with other forms of hinge and last. The thickness of the cast shells forming the sections may be varied and the forms modified to suit the conditions of service. Suitably-hollowed sections, of wood or other material, may be substituted for the castings described. shown.

I claiml. The sect-ions A, A', the nut B and later- I prefer the whole as ally-extending wings B thereon having the slots b, and the pins C carried by said sections and extending through said slots, in combination with the iin B2 formed on said nut and matching to the interior surfaces 0f said sections at the rear, anda threaded shank extending through said nut and carrying a spreader adapted to separate said sections, all substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

2. The sections A, A shackled together at the rear to form a split last, a hollow-faced antifriction-roller D and shaft D carried in each section, and a lug A3011 each extendingr across the line of separation and lapping upon the inner face of the other, in combination with a nut B carried by the sections and a screw-threaded shank E adapted to travel in said nut, and a conical spreader E fixed to said shank and received between said rollers, all substantially as herein specified.

3. A shoe-stretcher consisting of two hollow sections shackled together and each formed near its mid-length on the interior lower face with a lug, said lugs extending transversely of and across the line of separation and overlapping each other and curved upwardly to allow the sections to roll relatively to each other in coming to a bearing.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD JAMES LEIGHTON.

Witnesses:

HORACE F. CoLLEv, H. O. STIMsoN. 

